Halych castle (Starosta’s)

Address:

Нalych, Ivano-Frankivsk region

Description:

The Castle in Halych was built in the middle of the XIV century. However it was known as the fixed citadel in 1114. Archaeologists consider that at the first this was a wooden building which later became the strong Castle of Halych princes (XII-XIV centuries). Who and when destroyed a princely wooden Castle is unknown. We know the renewal of Castle, as a defensive outpost of Halych, began in the middle of XIV century, after that Halychyna and Western Volin' stepped back to Poland. One historical fact says that Kazymyr the Great built a wooden castle. Other asserts that a stronghold was built by the lord Lyubart in 1350-1352. In any way, it is known that Halych Castle was being built almost the whole century and from the end of the XIV century to the XV century it was one of the biggest in Halychyna. There were more over thousand persons there. The Castle of Halych had a few tens of small cannons, and many shooting-guns.

In 1490 a peasant army stormed Halych Castle under the leadership of Mukha. In 1620, 1621 Tatars tried to get it. During the liberation of the war-time the Ukrainian people (1648–1654) a stronghold was held in a siege by the army of Semen Vysochan, and in summer in 1649 troops of Bohdan Khmel'nytsky got the fortress.

The rebuilding of the of the Castle was conducted in the XVI-th century by the lord of Andrey Pototskiy, who gave 42 thousands of zloty to restore it. The plan of the reconstruction was developed by the Italian engineer Fransua Korrazini. Then reconstructed Castle had a three-cornered form, engulfed the territory of 1,7 hectares had two terraces, three stone towers in the corners, nine barns, and archive of the landowners’ acts, office and the, apartment of court. In the Castle there was the temple of Saint Katherin.

The next blow was tested by Halych Castle in the Turkish-Polish war-time in 1676 The troops of Ibragim Pasha of Shaitan fought the stronghold. Soldiers who ware managed by the commandant Lakhovskiy, almost without the fight gave the Castle which Turks robbed and landed part of walls of defensives and towers in air. The Castle was rebuilt afterwards, but for the alteration of the new city-fortress of Stanislav (Ivano-Frankivsk nowadays), the Halych Castle gradually lost the defensive value and emptied. Pursuant to the order of the governor in 1767 the part of the walls of defensive ware taken apart, and material was used for the building of the city pier. Ruins which remained from an ancient fortress were above Halych up to the end of the XX century.

Presently Halych Castle is guarded by the state. Pursuant to the General law of the development of the National preserve on 2001-2015 here works the restorations brigade “Davniy Halych”. In the project of the restoration of this national sight it is foreseen to pick up the thread walls of survivors, the tower and the temple of St. Katherin, to reproduce a defensive wall between the tower and the temple.

The castle was included into the list of the objects, which have been monitored for the accessibility.

Short description of the object accessibility:

The castle is located on the hill, which can be reached by car (there is an asphalt narrow road to the castle gate). The ground path leads to the very castle. The people on wheel-chair can reach the castle only at the assistance of the accompanying person.